Currently large area display devices such as tabletop computers are growing in popularity. Such devices provide multiple benefits that are not easily obtained in devices having small display sizes. One benefit is the ability to display a large number of digital elements simultaneously, which may include multiple applications. The large surface area of a tabletop computer also provides the ability to support multiple users simultaneously, who typically interact with the tabletop computer through a touch screen display presented in a horizontal orientation. Accordingly, multiple users may position themselves around a tabletop computer at the same time without physically interfering with one another. This may also facilitate collaborative interaction in which one or more users may simultaneously manipulate one or more digital elements, such as pictures, videos, or other visual media. In addition, such tabletop systems typically support the ability to launch and control multiple different presentations that provide a visual display such as a window for the same or for different applications. This is especially useful in a public setting in which multiple unrelated users may wish to interact with the large area display device independently, at the same time, and with limited interference from other users.
While current large area display systems allow the spatial position of digital elements (e.g., videos, screenshows, menus, etc.) on the display surface to be manipulated and controlled by a user, the audio associated with those elements is not delivered in a spatially coherent way. For example, if two videos are playing on the large area surface at the same time, in current systems, the audio of both videos is mixed together without regard for where the videos are positioned on the large area display. For systems, such as tabletop systems, that may have display dimensions of one meter or more, this can make it difficult for a user (or users) to discern what sounds are associated with a given video.
Accordingly, there may be a need for improved techniques and apparatus to solve these and other problems.